Lyrics by Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
A low growl hummed from under his bed. The young boy sat on top, clutching his injured arm. His heart hammered as he looked from side to side, wishing his parents were home.
In a moment of confusion, the boy ran out the room, but the shadow continued to lurk behind him. The light shun brightly in the distance, distorting his view.
Heavy breathing followed him into the next room. He locked the door, searching for some place to hide. His eyes caught the mirror briefly only to find the reflection smiling wickedly.
Monsters don't always hide under your bed. Sometimes they wait soundly inside your head.
~The feelings I lost in my lungs
They're burning
I'd rather be numb
And there's no one else to blame
So instead I'll take off in a run
I'm flying too close to the sun
And I'll burst into flames
"You know, most kids have a car at this age." The slightly curious and fully irritated goth looked back at her stalker, who silently followed along. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder, his shirt wrinkled in the front as if he had been squeezing the life out of the fabric.
The boy gave her a friendly smile. "Where's yours then?"
"I'm not a fan of destroying the ozone layer."
"Or vegetable oil?"
The tiniest of a smile came to her lips. When she saw his delighted expression though, she scowled. "What are you doing? Stalking me?"
He chuckled. "I just got out of the Dean's office. They sent me home."
Sam blinked. "You live around here?"
"It's kind of hard to miss."
"What do you mean?"
He was taken aback by this. She really didn't know? "There's a giant sign coming out of the roof. Not exactly subtle." He grinned. "Who's the stalker now?"
Sam blushed at that statement, but he was sure it was out of anger rather than embarrassment. Still, the expression only made him more curious; made him want to know what provoked it.
"I'm not the one following other people around." She stopped, turning to face him, but she caught onto an orange neon sign hanging above the building beside them. Fenton Works flashed in bold letters.
Danny chuckled at her puzzled face. "Again, who's the stalker?"
She pressed her purple lips together. "Okay, fine. Maybe you weren't following me." Her cheeks flushed that delicious red again. "But you are the one who spoke first."
Under his breath, Sam could barely make out the, "Are you sure?"
They stood awkwardly outside Danny's ridiculous looking house. Small talk had never been the goth's strong suit-she ignored social gatherings altogether. She had never understood people –boys in general– and she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
Before her mind could wander, Danny managed to capture her attention once again. "Now that you know where I live," he gave her a suggestive smirk, "shouldn't you tell me your address?"
Danny saw the familiar glint of distrust flash in those violet eyes. "The last thing I want to worry about is a teenage boy sneaking into my room in the middle of the night." She was on the defense again, and yet he got the feeling this was Sam at her most comfortable.
"You're not really the romantic type, are you?" he teased.
"Let's just say my past February's have been filled with singles awareness days."
So she was single. For some reason the fact made the boy grin like an idiot.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Sam seemed genuinely confused by his smile. Danny shook his head, chuckling.
He stretched his arm out as if to touch her. Sam froze -a full on "deer in headlights" response- watching as his arm drew closer. His fingers brushed against her purple scarf and she gasped.
Sam backed away. "I have to go," she mumbled, making a run for it.
By the time she shut the front door and turned the lock, she expected to find the raven haired delinquent right behind her, but Danny had thankfully been absent throughout her entire sprint home. Still, she was extra cautious locking all the windows and setting the security system. She was overreacting and she knew it.
Sam passed her bedroom and stumbled into the bathroom, feeling faint. Swiftly she grabbed one of the pill bottles marked on the sink and swallowed, chasing it down with water. Then she put her hands on the sink, leaning forward. Pale skin glistened under the fluorescent lights. She wiped her hand on her forehead, taking a deep breath.
He rubbed her the wrong way. He knew things he shouldn't have been able to guess. Why did it have to be him though? Of all people, why?
Sam started unwinding the scarf, placing it on a nearby hook. She flinched when she caught sight of her reflection.
Blue and black marks covered her neck in the shape of hands. She touched the warm skin with her hand and sighed. It still looked horrible. At least the pain killers were finally kicking in.
Sam was careful not to move her neck as she walked to her bedroom, crawling into bed. She rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes, waiting for the medicine to send her back into oblivion.
Enjoying her quiet weekend uninterrupted, Sam was more than thankful to find Danny Fenton absent on Monday. Whatever the reason, she needed a few minutes to herself. Ever since Danny came into her life, Sam found herself hyper-aware; constantly checking to make sure she was hidden. He exposed her weak spots like a spotlight, and Sam had never done well in the hot seat.
The school day had ended rather blandly and by the time she slipped on her green jumpsuit she was smiling. Everyone appeared at the lot; the team equipped with gloves, construction hats, and a belt of tools. Between them was the foundations of a house.
"Sam!" The project leader waved her over with the largest smile she had even seen on a man. He was dressed in a green jumpsuit, the standard uniform for volunteer work. "Great news! I need you to take in a young pupil today."
She raised an eyebrow. "Social interaction isn't my strong suit."
Tom shrugged. "But he's closer to your age. I'm sure you'll get along better."
"Is it another troublemaker?"
Tom laughed uncomfortably. "You do work better with the violent cases."
"No, I know self-defense. That's why I don't take crap from anyone." She stared at her boss's pleading eyes. "You should do the same, Tom."
"Learning self defense or not taking crap from people?"
"I'd say both, but I doubt that's in your capability."
Tom laughed, scratching away at a receding hairline. "You are adorable, Sam; my girl." He hugged the goth who was full on ignoring him at this point.
She didn't return the hug, nor did she feel comfortable receiving it. "I'd be insulted if you weren't gay."
"So when are you bringing around a nice boy?" He raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Or maybe a nice girl?"
She punched him in the jaw.
Tom staggered back, holding his injured chin. "Christ! I thought you supported gays."
"I didn't punch you because you suggested I was a lesbian," Sam barked. "I punched you because you were making ludicrous assumptions about me."
Tom laughed. "Now that you're in a good mood, why don't I bring that kid in?"
"Seriously? You're really that scared?"
Tom handed her a bat shaped clipboard with today's agenda. Leaning over, he whispered, "He has an even bigger reputation than you, Miss Manson."
Tom moved to another group of volunteer workers and Sam was greeted by none other than Danny Fenton dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit. He smiled when he caught her gaze. "Hey-"
"Where's you're hat?"
She hadn't even reacted to his presence. Danny blinked, somewhat disappointed. "My what?"
"Jim! I need another hat!" She screamed over the buzzing machines. A burly man came over and handed her the yellow cap.
"Do I need a waiver for this?" Danny joked, examining the plastic material.
Sam brushed his statement aside. "The last thing you want is for someone to drop something two stories down and give you a concussion." She stood on the balls of her feet, reaching over to put the cap on his head. She smiled. "Yellows not really your color, but it'll work."
She was close enough to see the full effect of her eyes. Danny swallowed at the force of her smile and tried his hardest not to blush. Sam's attitude was unusually motherly, both strict and kind at the same time. He wondered if it had anything to do with the control she had in this setting.
He leaned his head down until their foreheads were practically touching. Sam cleared her throat and back away. "You weren't in school today."
Danny smiled. "Did you miss me?"
"On the contrary, I loved the solitude. What I want to know is why you'd ditch calculus, but show up to make houses for the homeless."
He shrugged. "Doing my fair share of community service?"
"Does the school no longer give delinquents detention or are you just bored?" She scribbled on her clipboard, not even sparing him a glance.
Danny blinked. "You think I'm a delinquent?" He grinned. "You must not know me very well."
"Let's keep it that way." Sam sighed, too tired to argue. She glanced over her bat shaped clipboard. "I need you to work with Kwan."
"That's not a good idea," Danny stated, leaning over slightly. "I just beat up the football team last week, remember?"
She frowned. "Gregor is-"
"Seeking revenge after I stole his girlfriend." He made air quotes on the word stole.
"Then Quin over there-"
"Is about to run away."
Sam glanced over her shoulder when Quin met Danny's eyes. The basketball player was at least four inches taller than Danny, but even then he dropped his tools and made a dash for the exit.
She didn't even bother facing him when she asked, "By any chance, is there anyone you haven't beat up?"
"Yeah. That guy." He gestured back to the boss, who flinched. "But give me till lunch. I'll probably find something to fight over."
Her black chipped nails dug into the clipboard. "And you claim you're not a delinquent?" Sam growled, throwing her hands in the air. "You've been in a fight with every guy in town! And not just that, you provoke it. You're no better than-" She stopped herself, feeling the anger bubble like a soda bottle, ready to explode when that cap popped off. "What...What do you have to prove?" She demanded, caught up in her own anger and burning curiosity.
The wind howled between them, throwing Sam's raven hair all over the place. Danny's voice was low and hoarse when he said, "I have to show them I'm not weak."
"By hurting innocent people?"
His eyes darkened. "If you want power, you have to take it without any fear."
There was that word again. Fear. Why had she even tacked that word to him that first day? Danny was probably the last person to show any sort of fear. He looked for trouble and laughed when he found it. "Fear of what?" She was seething, but a part of her still ached to know.
"The consequences."
The words made her snap. Sam turned. "Do whatever you want," she hissed over the tool machines. "You seem to do that best, anyway."
*I do not own the quote - Monsters don't sleep under your bed. They sleep inside your head* I merely tweaked the wording for this story.*